Area resident to play 'Taps' at Arlington

The Rev. Bill Miles shows the 1918 bugle that inspired him to learn to play "Taps."

by Susan Mikula Campbell

This Saturday at
Arlington National Cemetery, buglers and trumpeters from across the nation will
gather en masse to play "Taps," celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
nation's song of remembrance.

The Rev. Bill Miles of
the Salvation Army of the Tonawandas will represent Western New York at the 10
a.m. ceremony in what he expects to be the "most memorable" time he's ever
played the military bugle call.

The
massed sounding of "Taps" at the ending of the ceremony at Arlington's
amphitheater will be directed by Col. Larry H. Lang, commander and conductor of
the U.S. Air Force Band. From there, those playing will disperse to play "Taps"
after Arlington's noon chimes at various graves, so visitors will be able to
hear the sound no matter where they are at the cemetery.

Miles told local
residents attending the Senior Breakfast at Niagara-Wheatfield High School last
weekend that he will play at the grave of Stephen J. Sikora, the first person from
the Tonawandas killed in World War II.

"When I play over those
graves, I will be playing for you," he told the veterans in the audience to
loud applause.

Miles
said that to his knowledge, he is the only Western New York member of Bugles
Across America, one of the sponsors of the Arlington event, to be
participating.

One of the purposes of
the event, aside from celebrating the anniversary is to draw attention to the
fact that buglers are available to play at funerals, wreath laying ceremonies
and memorial services. Check the Buglers Across America website.

"A lot of times,
veterans don't get live taps," said Miles. "I've played all the way up to
Youngstown and almost down to Jamestown. We have 57 registered buglers in
Western New York ready to play 'Taps' anywhere."

At the Senior
Breakfast, Miles displayed a 1918 Wurlitzer bugle that was a gift from his aunt
in 1968 when he was 12 years old after his uncle had passed away. "That
encouraged me to learn to play 'Taps'," Miles said.

However, he will be
using his regular trumpet to play the haunting notes at Arlington.